Budapest Parliament Tickets: how to buy and prices

You won't want to miss the opportunity to enter this building full of historical and architectural details while visiting Budapest, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The Parliament of Budapest is one of the largest in the world, so I want to tell you all about the different ways to visit it, either buying tickets or taking a guided tour and recommendations to enjoy the experience to the fullest.

The best option

Budapest Tour with Parliament Visit

Entrance fees to Parliament with tour included

The cheapest option to enter the Budapest Parliament and explore it with an expert guide.

From £45 at Hellotickets

This option seems to me very complete because you will be able to visit the city and its most important places, enjoy the panoramic view of Budapest from the Buda Hills and end up visiting the third largest Parliament building in the world, through a tour guided by an expert and with a duration of 45 minutes.

I recommend it especially if you have little time or a very tight schedule in your visit to Budapest. If you have 4 hours, this tour will be ideal as it will take you to some of the most representative places of the city, ending with a tour inside the Parliament.

Tickets start at around 9 Euros, but the price varies depending on whether you are a citizen of the European Union. Students also get a discount to enter the Parliament, and children under 6 years old get in free.

Here is a summary of the ticket prices for each category, which will be shown in the local Hungarian currency, the Hungarian Forint. Please note that if you buy your tickets online, you can pay by credit card and avoid queues and any problems with your payment method.

• EU adults: 3,200 Ft. (Hungarian Forint), about 8,60€ and 9€.
• EU students from 6 to 24 years old: 1,600 Ft. (Hungarian Forint), about 4,30€.
• Adult non-EU: 6,400 HUF (Hungarian Forint), about €17,23 and €17,50.
• Non-EU students aged 6-24: 3,200 Ft. (Hungarian Forint), about €8,60 and €9.

A guided tour is always worthwhile, but if we are talking about a building as culturally important as the Parliament of Budapest, even more so. The grandeur of the building makes it an essential monument of the city and what better way to discover it than going through its rooms and contemplating its statues, its frescoes or its coats of arms with an expert guide.

If you choose the tour of Budapest with tickets to the Parliament in addition to a route through the city with the best possible views you will have the opportunity to visit the most representative monument with the explanations of the guide in your language. This way you will forget about trying to find tickets at the ticket office.

The first thing you need to know is that you can buy your tickets in advance through the official website offered by the Budapest Parliament itself, and although you can also buy them at the Visitors' Centre, I recommend buying online as daily tickets are limited, and unless you time your itinerary very well, you run the risk of running out of your pass.

To save you queues and to ensure your ticket, the Parliament offers an official, authorised and secure website, where you can choose, among other things, the language in which you prefer to make your visit.

In this official site authorised by the Parliament, you will find the different tickets differentiated by language, so you can buy your tickets according to the language in which you want to make the visit.

Unfortunately not. You can access the Budapest Card, which includes museums and other tourist attractions in the city, however, the Budapest Parliament is not included in this card.

With the tourist card you can visit monuments, museums and get discounts and unlimited public transport. This card also entitles you to guided tours in English language in Buda and Pest, the area of the city where the Parliament is located.

The Parliament building is open daily from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Group tours start at the Visitors' Centre. I recommend you always check the official Parliament website for news and updates on opening times, which may change throughout the year.

If you take a guided tour, you will not have to worry about many details and simply enjoy your tour of this majestic building.

Getting to the Parliament of Budapest is very easy and entertaining as you will have to take a pleasant walk along the banks of the beautiful Danube. If you are staying in the centre of Pest, you will only need a 15-minute walk from the Chain Bridge.

If your accommodation is in another part of the city or you want to get to the parliament by public transport, you have these options:

• Metro Kossuth Lajos tér, line M2.
• Tram Kossuth Lajos tér, line 2.
• Bus Kossuth Lajos tér, lines 15, 70, 78 and 115.

Other places of interest in the vicinity

If you visit the Parliament do not miss some other places of interest nearby such as:

• St. Anne's Church
• Danube Art Ensemble
• Budapest Ethnographic Museum

Yes, and the best thing is that visitors under 6 years of age do not pay admission to the Parliament. Without a doubt, this is one of the activities to do with the family and what you will enjoy the most out of the many things to see and do in Budapest.

Keep in mind the regulations when planning your visit and consult with all the information regarding safety regulations and requirements so that you don't have any inconveniences and the little ones can have a great experience getting to know this jewel of Europe.

Several stations take you on a tour full of history and tradition. The visit to the Parliament starts at the dazzling side staircase of City XVII. Statues of the monarchy, stained glass windows and decorative frescoes decorate this pathway where you can appreciate neo-gothic and baroque details. All designed by the architect Imre Steindi.

This first glimpse of the parliament also offers a beautiful view of Kossuth Square, the nation's largest square, which was recently renovated. You will also see on your tour the Grand Staircase, which has 96 steps covered with an exquisite red carpet.

This space features eight four-ton granite columns, a piece of which there are only twelve in the whole world. The stained glass windows surrounding this staircase display works of art from the workshop of Miska Róth.

Another place you can visit during your visit to the Budapest Parliament is the Dome Hall, where the Hungarian Holy Crown and the Coronation insignia, which are considered the oldest in Europe, have been kept since the year 2000. This symbolic place is about 27 metres high and contains statues of Hungarian rulers throughout its history.

The Béla Neÿ Hall

The Béla Neÿ Hall is a room with several curiosities and enjoy a tour, which thanks to technology offers you an exhibition with details of spaces not included in the tour and hidden technical installations.

The Council of Deputies, where the deputies of the Hungarian Parliament currently meet, is also in these premises but cannot be visited by tourists.

If you opt for the guided tour of the Budapest Parliament, you may need between 45 minutes and 1 hour. I always recommend taking the tour in the morning hours so that you can enjoy the day, and the other sights surrounding the parliament.

You can also opt to take the last tour of the day and enjoy the night in Budapest, with the incredible views of the Parliament building and the majestic Danube at night. And why not, take a night cruise.

Even if you only have 1 day in Budapest, including a visit to the Parliament will be an unforgettable experience.

In the summer you will undoubtedly encounter more tourists, but you can enjoy the ideal weather, and complement your visit to the Parliament with other plans. There are many things to do in Budapest in summer and enjoy one of the busiest seasons of the year.

But if you want to enjoy the winter in this European city, there are also plans to enjoy the cold in Budapest, an idea that can give some magic to your visit, if the cold is your thing.

Don't forget to check the official opening hours of the Parliament before your visit, as being an official building, there may be restrictions or series according to the season of the year you want to visit it.

There are many tips to follow during your visit to Budapest. And if you decide to take a guided tour of the Budapest Parliament, there are a few recommendations to keep in mind:

• Make sure that the guided tour you book is guaranteed and that you have all the necessary authorisations to enter the parliament and tour.
• Check in advance what the tour includes, and what the tour will be like so that you can get an idea and prepare yourself with some basic information.
• Don't be afraid to ask questions. Take advantage of your guided tour to ask about curiosities and details. The best thing about taking a guided tour of a place like this is that you can learn from an expert.

Things to keep in mind

Whether you decide to take a guided tour of Parliament or do it on your own, here are some other basic recommendations, given that it is an official building:

• Please note that tickets at the Parliament's ticket office are limited, so I recommend you to buy them in advance through the official website.
• For the protection of the Holy Crown of Hungary, the parliament strictly forbids photography in the Great Hall of the Dome. However, it is permitted to take photos or use video cameras in other parts of the building.
• Security control is strict in the parliament, so I recommend you to be as comfortable as possible, without large bags, suitcases, bags, parcels or anything else that may impede your access.
• The parliament has accessible areas for people with disabilities, so you can notify special needs prior to your visit so that parliament staff can assist you upon arrival.
• Visitors to parliament who are undergoing treatment with radioactive isotopes for curative purposes are also required to provide some medical documents prior to their visit.
• Being an official building, security measures are strict. Also be sure to dress plainly and avoid T-shirts with political messages, flags or anything that might complicate your visit. Check with your tour guide about any other measures you should be aware of.

There is no doubt that visiting the Budapest Parliament is a fascinating experience. In cultural terms you get to see one of the most important official buildings in the world, while exploring one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

I highly recommend you to visit this city at night, because at both times of the day, the city will offer you a different atmosphere and you will discover corners that will surprise you.